landlord

noun

land·​lord ˈland-ˌlȯrd How to pronounce landlord (audio)
1
: the owner of property (such as land, houses, or apartments) that is leased or rented to another
2
: the master of an inn or lodging house : innkeeper

Examples of landlord in a Sentence

agreed to pay the landlord the rent on the first Monday of each month a weekend workshop that is intended to disabuse would-be landlords of a bed-and breakfast that the job is one long vacation
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Many of his clients were small landlords—immigrant owners of two-family properties who relied on tenants to stay afloat. Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025 But the landlord isn’t going to budge. Eddie Huang, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2025 The center guides parties through community issues like noise but also conflicts with roommates and landlords. Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 8 Oct. 2025 Upping the ante, Sultana swiftly introduced a bill banning landlords from serving as MPs. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for landlord

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of landlord was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Landlord.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/landlord. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

landlord

noun
land·​lord -ˌ(d)lȯ(ə)rd How to pronounce landlord (audio)
1
: the owner of land or houses that is rented to another
2
: a person who runs an inn or rooming house

Legal Definition

landlord

noun
land·​lord
: the owner of property (as houses, apartments, or land) that is leased or rented to another

More from Merriam-Webster on landlord

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!